Marvel Legends Apocalypse Build A Figure review

With the onslaught of product Hasbro has cranked out this year it’s been a lot tougher to have that satisfaction of completing a Build A Figure. But, after more focus than normal it’s time for another BAF review with one of the gems of the 2018 X-Men wave — Apocalypse.

Toy Biz had taken two cracks at the X-Men villain, but neither were ideal. One was too tall and the other was too squat. Is this one just right? Let’s find out.

Packaging: Build A Figures miss out on the fun packaging setup so no side portrait or one sentence bio for Apocalypse.

Likeness: There’s a point when I’m close to completing a BAF that I really start to appreciate how cool the figure is turning out. That didn’t take long with Apocalypse. Now that he’s completed, he’s easily one of my recent favorites.

Apocalypse is one of those characters that’s had so many looks over the years he doesn’t have a signature outfit. Hasbro went the smart route and went with a look that incorporated the common elements — the head design, arm tubes, an ‘A’ belt buckle and shoulder pads. Everything else is more open to interpretation.

I couldn’t find the exact inspiration for this attire, but it looks closest to the Messiah War version. Either way it doesn’t suffer from the classic vs. modern changes like so many other characters. What’s most impressive here is how much of Apocalypse consists of newly sculpted parts.

Hasbro has probably worked out part re-use possibilities, but a lot seems like it’s a one and done deal so the attention to detail is appreciated. I love the headsculpt, which captures his intensity, the size of the shoulder pads — not too big or small — the musculature and gauntlets. Unlike the BAF Warlock, the arm tubs have plenty of give and space so they can remain attached even in posing.

Scale: Apocalypse is taller than the average character, but he’s not a towering giant. The standard BAF size fits him so he can look down on characters like Cable and Cyclops, but be around the same height as Colossus.

Paint: The paintjob is incredible. Hasbro used a pearlescent blue, which really pops against the grey and midnight blue sharply. The midnight blue sections also feature a pearlescent finish and it sells the illusion that he’s wearing armor.

The only area to be mindful of is the head. I’ve seen a few Gladiator figures, which had an Apocalypse head with smeared purple around the teeth.

Articulation: Apocalypse is a more physical threat than say Mister Sinister and isn’t afraid to battle the X-Men toe to toe. Apocalypse lacks the double elbow articulation of most figures so you’ll have to get more creative in posing him on the attack.

He also has the rounded ankle joint people hate on the DC Essentials figures. With Apocalypse, it’s not so tricky to maneuver, but it’s still a task getting it lined up to have him standing flush.

Apocalypse has:

neck

ball-jointed shoulders

biceps

elbows

wrists

torso

waist

hips

thighs

knees (double-jointed)

boot

ankles

Accessories: Apocalypse lacks accessories. He does have one piece coming with the online exclusive deluxe Archangel, but it’s a little disappointing we don’t have options right away like we did with the Sandman or Absorbing Man figures.

Worth it? The real question with all BAFs is how many figures do you not care about does the figure cost you. In Apocalypse’s case, I had little interest in Gladiator or Magneto, but both figures are solid enough figures that I don’t regret buying them. The rest of the wave was so strong that I looked at it like Apocalypse was $40, which is a pretty fair price for this guy.

Rating: 9 out of 10

Slightly better elbow range and some accessories would have put this guy over the top. As is, it’s still one of my favorite BAFs for 2018.

Where to get it? It took me a little time to piece this guy together. Ultimately, I was able to get all of this wave from Target. Hasbro has done a great job of getting this wave to all of its regular distributors including Gamestop and Amazon. Failing that Hasbrotoyshop.com has kept this wave in stock on a reasonable basis. Or you can order the entire set at Entertainment Earth.com.